Titans DC Shane Bowen on Facing Limited Joe Burrow: 'It's Unique'
The Tennessee Titans have played Joe Burrow three times since he was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in 2020 and so far they are 0-3 in those contests. Burrow will be a daunting task to stop no matter what, but this matchup on Sunday is a bit different with Burrow nursing a calf injury.
Burrow is getting the ball out quicker and looking to avoid any contact in the pocket. He is using his mobility less and that creates a different situation for the defense than in the previous meetings.
Titans defensive coordinator Shane Bowen discussed Burrow and how his injury makes game-planning different.
"It's unique," Bowen explained. "He's different than what he's been obviously just because there is some limitations with his mobility. In the past he's always been a threat to take a scramble in when it's there, to extend plays, to make plays down the field late in the down. You see a little bit of a difference, we got to be able to rush and affect him just the same. We will kind of see as he progresses, he said it himself felt like he's getting stronger week by week, so we'll kind of see where he's at this week, but we got to be ready to cover and rush just like any quarterback."
In Week 3, Burrow's average time to throw(TTT) was 2.29 which is far quicker than any season average he has had in his career. Also, his average depth of target(ADOT) was shorter in Week 3 at 7.2 yards than any yearly ADOT he has had in his career.
He is getting the ball out quicker and throwing it shorter than he ever has to help compensate for the injury. That creates opportunities, but also comes with concerns.
Since Burrow is less likely to go deep, the Titans can press up on his talented wide receivers to try and take away some quick passes. However, if the Titans make a simple mistake and don't get pressure in time, they could end up making it easier to hit a big play for the Bengals even with Burrow banged up.
The Titans could choose to play Burrow the same as they always have, but as we know that has only resulted in losses. Even with Burrow banged up and the chances that allows, the Titans will still need their best effort to beat a man they have never beaten before, injured or not.
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